Pantomime Audition Songs

Music, in particular songs, is an integral part of any pantomime. The types of songs and the style of the music will depend on your company’s musical director. Some panto companies are happy to use popular, well-known songs and shoe-horn them into the show. And some pantos will use classic songs that even the grown ups once bopped to. In general they tend to be songs that the audience will know and love.

So for your panto audition song you have to choose wisely. Here are a few key points to follow:

Can you sing it?

First of all you have to make sure that you can sing the song it and that it is actually within your vocal range. Make sure that the song also shows the audition panel as much of your vocal range as possible.

Keep it short

Keep the song relatively short. Don’t go to your audition and sing ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ from start to finish. They will most probably give you a time limit of around two to five minutes, so best to stick to it.

Sing the right song

The auditioners may ask you to bring two songs. It’s a good idea to bring a musical theatre or children’s film theme song plus a pop ballad if you are being seen for romantic principle leads. Always take comical, lighthearted and upbeat songs if you are being seen for the dame or comic lead.

Add some moves

Put a little physicality into your song. Don’t just stand there and sing. But don’t go over the top either. It doesn’t need to be very complicated or be throughout the whole song. If there is no dance audition, the panel will at least get a sense of how you move.

Sheet Music and Backing Tracks

Once you have made your choice of songs you then have to make sure that you can obtain sheet music or even a backing track, depending on what the audition panel require. You can buy these from any good music store or check your local library.

Rehearse

Rehearse the songs and any scripts well before the audition. Make sure that you are ‘off the page’. Songs and scripts that have been learnt look more professional.

Enjoy singing it

Make sure it’s a song that you ENJOY singing. Sing the words and give them some meaning. A half hearted song is so disappointing to watch, especially if the singer is nervous or hasn’t rehearsed it enough.

See what’s current

If you are completely stuck for what song to sing, take a look at the popular Disney songs, any well known children’s film songs or any pop songs that are in the charts. The Dame singing ‘Don’t Cha’ by the Pussycat Dolls will always bring a smile to any audience member. And ‘Glee’ and ‘High School Musical’ are trending at the moment.

Invest in a singing lesson

If you haven’t sung a song in a while or completely new to singing, invest in one or two singing lessons. You will be surprised what you can learn in a couple of hours. An expert singing teacher will help you grasp the song and make you sing it at your best. It could help you get your first panto job!

Here is a list of pantomime audition songs that we have compiled. Most of the songs below have been sung in panto auditions by actors who have had some success. It’s a personal choice, but we thought we’d write a list to help you decide what sort of song to sing. If you sing a panto audition song and it worked well, let us know so we can keep adding to this list.

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